Prime Kubrat Pulev would outbox and out-jab any heavyweight today

[Luis Fernando12]

Kubrat Pulev, even today at age 37 whilst being inactive for over a year, easily and indisputably has the best jab overall in the heavyweight division.

A prime Kubrat Pulev in even better physical condition, in terms of reflexes and sharpness, would be an even better boxer.

Today, he arguably beats any heavyweight outside of perhaps Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. A prime version of Pulev beats even those two as well in my opinion.

Nobody has EVER out-boxed or out-jabbed Pulev. Not even Wladimir Klitschko, who has had the best jab of the last decade. But Pulev proved his jab is equally good, if not even better compared to Wladimir's. And I dare say his power jab specifically is even better and even more powerful.

Pulev's downfall against Wladimir Klitschko was Wlad's left hook. Styles make fights and stylistically, Wlad's left hook is what bailed him out against Pulev because his standard boxing wasn't that effective. And that left hook would probably ALWAYS be Pulev's downfall against Wladimir Klitschko.

Now, just because Wladimir Klitschko's left hook was effective against Pulev, doesn't mean other boxers could follow the exact same blueprint because Wlad's left hook is EXTREMELY unique and special. Wladimir Klitschko arguably has the best left hook in heavyweight history in terms of not just punching power, but how effortless his technique is and how much power he can generate, despite throwing his left hook with very little effort and despite not throwing it too far or long. In other words, I can't think of any other past heavyweight that can generate as much power with their left hook, whilst throwing with it such little effort and whilst throwing it such a small/ short distance where the punch doesn't even need much space or time to generate such concussive power.

Kubrat Pulev would out-box any version of Tyson Fury, like he did to Hughie Fury. Pulev takes more risks and throws more punches compared to Wladimir Klitschko. Wladimir Klitschko's tentativeness cost him against Fury. Pulev won't be, and therefore, he'd have the edge. Fury just couldn't match Pulev in the technical department.

Kubrat Pulev would also out-box and out-jab Deontay Wilder. Wilder has lost rounds against, and has been out-boxed by far lesser boxers than Pulev. He has managed to beat them though with comeback KO's after being down on the scorecards, due to them not being very durable or skilled. However, when he did finally fight an opponent who was somewhat durable in Johann Duhaupas, he couldn't even drop Duhaupas, much less KO him. In other words, his punching power was exposed to be lacking. And this same Duhaupas was dropped by a former cruiserweight earlier on in his career in just the first few rounds. The fight was also arguably even before the referee prematurely stopped the fight in favor of Wilder against Duhaupas where both guys were landing relatively equally damaging punches on each other.

Kubrat Pulev is SIGNIFICANTLY, and I mean SIGNIFICANTLY more skilled than Johann Duhaupas. In terms of jabbing, footwork and distance control. Even in terms of durability, there is no reason to believe Duhaupas is even more durable than Pulev. Pulev was never dropped by a former cruiser weight with a losing record like Duhaupas did. Pulev was only KO'ed by one of the hardest hitters the heavyweight division has ever seen. Thus, if Duhaupas was able to absorb Wilder's punches without even getting dropped, then there is no reason why the much more skilled and equally durable, if not the more durable Pulev couldn't do the same. But unlike those other guys Wilder has lost rounds against, Pulev is going to last the distance and win on points.

Kubrat Pulev also out-boxes and out-jabs Anthony Joshua too. Joshua's jab for a super heavyweight, is very average and probably even below average. He doesn't control distance very well with that jab. Nor is he very effective against half decent opponents at landing his jab effectively. 41 year old Wladimir Klitschko was out-jabbing Anthony Joshua and only lost in the 11 round due too old age. Prime Pulev is going to go a step further and pull off the decision win without getting stopped.

If Joshua had a difficult time even making contact with his jabs on Parker, then he is going to have an even more of a difficult time on a superior Kubrat Pulev. Difference is, unlike Parker, Pulev is going to be landing far more in return.

Joshua's boxing skills simply aren't that good!

[jamamb]

he does have a world class jab, but he sticks his chin out there, doesnt have the power to get the respect of the top guys, and imo would get swatted aside by aj or wilder. i think miller, ortiz , and povetkin beat him too. whyte with a good shot too.

to me he is better then the likes of parker, breazeale, kownacki, chisora, takam, etc though

[sharpei_louis]

Did someone really watch that last night and then write pages upon pages of gushing Pulev tribute?

I must've woken up in another dimension

[DrDuke]

Pulev's jab is very good indeed. And he really can outjab a lot of competitors today. His jab didn't help him against Wlad though. It didn't help at all. It won't either against Joshua and Wilder, where Pulev will be very likely to look good early, until he gets caught and KOed. He won't handle Tyson Fury too. I believe, nobody can outbox The Gypsy King today.

[sharpei_louis]

'Nobody can outbox Fury' but there may be one or two who could just knock him out.

[ValMar]

Did someone really watch that last night and then write pages upon pages of gushing Pulev tribute?

I must've woken up in another dimension

[candyslim]

he does have a world class jab, but he sticks his chin out there, doesnt have the power to get the respect of the top guys, and imo would get swatted aside by aj or wilder. i think miller, ortiz , and povetkin beat him too. whyte with a good shot too.

to me he is better then the likes of parker, breazeale, kownacki, chisora, takam, etc though

That's a very good summary in my opinion, although I figure Kownacki and Parker might force him to work a lot harder than Hughie did. Pulev did prove to me he remains relevant and still deserving of a world ranking. At 37 and inactive for 18 months I thought that was by no means a given. Fair play to him though.

Similarly we don't know how far short of his best is Tyson Fury but at his best Pulev wouldn't cope with his movement. By the time Pulev had shuffled into position to let his punches go, Tyson would have been in three different places since then.

Hughie also should have bamboozled him with his mobility, instead of retreating into the corner thereby fighting Pulev's fight. It seemed though he didn't have the energy to stick and move and I wonder if his debillitating super-acne problem isn't as cured as has been suggested?

[Luis Fernando12]

he does have a world class jab, but he sticks his chin out there, doesnt have the power to get the respect of the top guys, and imo would get swatted aside by aj or wilder. i think miller, ortiz , and povetkin beat him too. whyte with a good shot too.

to me he is better then the likes of parker, breazeale, kownacki, chisora, takam, etc though

Pulev doesn't leave his chin out there, anymore than Joseph Parker does. And look at how Joshua failed to even drop, much less KO Parker in 12 rounds. Pulev is superior to Parker as far as boxing skills go and is at least as durable, if not more.

And Pulev's power is also no less than Parker's. But Joshua had an insane amount of respect for Parker's power. Don't think for a second he can just totally disrespect Pulev's power, when he didn't even disrespect Parker's power.

Wilder failed to even drop Duhaupas. He isn't 'swatting away' prime Pulev, when his hardest punches just bounce of a far inferior Duhaupas with very little effect. Duhaupas can take Wilder's punches without getting 'swat away', but Pulev can't. Gimme a break!

Duhaupas was dropped by an actual cruiser weight inside 6 rounds. Such a thing never happened to Pulev. Pulev not only is a superior boxer, but also in all likelihood, is more durable too.

[Luis Fernando12]

Pulev's jab is very good indeed. And he really can outjab a lot of competitors today. His jab didn't help him against Wlad though. It didn't help at all. It won't either against Joshua and Wilder, where Pulev will be very likely to look good early, until he gets caught and KOed. He won't handle Tyson Fury too. I believe, nobody can outbox The Gypsy King today.

His jab didn't help him against Wladimir Klitschko because Wladimir Klitschko has a very special / unique left hook that none of the other top heavyweights have today. Not Anthony Joshua, not Deontay Wilder and not Tyson Fury. So the idea that his jab won't work against other guys, only because it didn't work against Wladimir Klitschko, is faulty logic. Since those other boxers aren't Wladimir Klitschko and don't have the quality in their left hook that Wlad has.

Deontay Wilder couldn't even drop Johann Duhaupas with flush, loaded up punches for 11 rounds. When a total scrub and a far inferior boxer in Duhaupas can take Wilder's punches without getting dropped, much less KO'ed, then there is no reason why a far superior Pulev also couldn't not only not get knocked out, but go a step further and actually beat Wilder on points (assuming no robberies).

Anthony Joshua failed to even drop Joseph Parker. Let that sink in for a second! The same Parker who was dropped by Dillian Whyte of all people. Kubrat Pulev is superior to Joseph Parker in terms of boxing skills and is at least as durable, if not more durable.

[Luis Fernando12]

he does have a world class jab, but he sticks his chin out there, doesnt have the power to get the respect of the top guys, and imo would get swatted aside by aj or wilder. i think miller, ortiz , and povetkin beat him too. whyte with a good shot too.

to me he is better then the likes of parker, breazeale, kownacki, chisora, takam, etc though

That's a very good summary in my opinion, although I figure Kownacki and Parker might force him to work a lot harder than Hughie did. Pulev did prove to me he remains relevant and still deserving of a world ranking. At 37 and inactive for 18 months I thought that was by no means a given. Fair play to him though.

Similarly we don't know how far short of his best is Tyson Fury but at his best Pulev wouldn't cope with his movement. By the time Pulev had shuffled into position to let his punches go, Tyson would have been in three different places since then.

Hughie also should have bamboozled him with his mobility, instead of retreating into the corner thereby fighting Pulev's fight. It seemed though he didn't have the energy to stick and move and I wonder if his debillitating super-acne problem isn't as cured as has been suggested?

Pulev neutralized Hughie Fury's movement and stopped him from employing his usual movement. He did this by cutting the ring off time after time. Pulev would do the same to Tyson Fury as well.

And unlike Wladimir Klitschko, Pulev lets his hands go far more and is willing to take risks.

[Luis Fernando12]

'Nobody can outbox Fury' but there may be one or two who could just knock him out.

Except some British level journeyman named 'John McDermott' has already done so. And got robbed in the process whilst doing so. Nobody has ever out-boxed or out-jabbed Pulev to this day in the pros. Now that's a fact!

[gregregegg]

pulev looked average against Hughie fury who is the top end of British levle... yet you say no version of tyson fury beats him. the fury that beat klitchco doesn't loose a round to pulev. 400 pound fury probly makes a decent fight of it.

[candyslim]

he does have a world class jab, but he sticks his chin out there, doesnt have the power to get the respect of the top guys, and imo would get swatted aside by aj or wilder. i think miller, ortiz , and povetkin beat him too. whyte with a good shot too.

to me he is better then the likes of parker, breazeale, kownacki, chisora, takam, etc though

That's a very good summary in my opinion, although I figure Kownacki and Parker might force him to work a lot harder than Hughie did. Pulev did prove to me he remains relevant and still deserving of a world ranking. At 37 and inactive for 18 months I thought that was by no means a given. Fair play to him though.

Similarly we don't know how far short of his best is Tyson Fury but at his best Pulev wouldn't cope with his movement. By the time Pulev had shuffled into position to let his punches go, Tyson would have been in three different places since then.

Hughie also should have bamboozled him with his mobility, instead of retreating into the corner thereby fighting Pulev's fight. It seemed though he didn't have the energy to stick and move and I wonder if his debillitating super-acne problem isn't as cured as has been suggested?

Pulev neutralized Hughie Fury's movement and stopped him from employing his usual movement. He did this by cutting the ring off time after time. Pulev would do the same to Tyson Fury as well.

And unlike Wladimir Klitschko, Pulev lets his hands go far more and is willing to take risks.

Hughie neutralized his own movement by retreating to the same corner every time when he should have occupied centre ring and kept on his toes. Pulev didn't do anything spectacular just inched forward like the mummy and cut off Fury's retreat from his chosen corner.

Hughie is not known as any kind of puncher but he got through with one of his ponderous looping swings and practically separated Pulev from his senses. But for some timely intervention by the referee, KP would have been in desperate straits.
It doesn't bode well for his chances against a powerful and correct puncher like Joshua, not that I think Pulev wants to fight Joshua.

I sometimes wonder how you select the fighters that you laud to the skies and those that you condemn as being clowns or worse. Sometimes it seems you pick their names out of a hat. Pulev is great and Povetkin is shite according to you, whereas to me they are probably very close in ability now that Pulev seems to be wearing better than Povetkin.

Of sh1t I promised myself I wouldn't engage with you again because logic and common sense to you is like a light jab to Jarrell Miller. Totally ineffective and unlikely to deter for a second a man that's impervious to such weapons, just keeps coming forward and throwing high volume low quality barrages

[jamamb]

Pulev struggled with the same Hughie Fury that got schooled by Fred Kassi two years ago lol. Pulev wouldn't even make it to the 5th round against Povetkin.

lol wut

pulev won like 9 or 10 rounds, kassi won maybe 1 at best

pulev did better vs hughie then parker did too

[dagilechia]

WARNING: Remember that Luis Fernando12 is a troll.

[oogiebe]

WARNING: Remember that Luis Fernando12 is a troll.

Thanks Dog! That explains a lot.

[DrDuke]

Pulev's jab is very good indeed. And he really can outjab a lot of competitors today. His jab didn't help him against Wlad though. It didn't help at all. It won't either against Joshua and Wilder, where Pulev will be very likely to look good early, until he gets caught and KOed. He won't handle Tyson Fury too. I believe, nobody can outbox The Gypsy King today.

His jab didn't help him against Wladimir Klitschko because Wladimir Klitschko has a very special / unique left hook that none of the other top heavyweights have today. Not Anthony Joshua, not Deontay Wilder and not Tyson Fury. So the idea that his jab won't work against other guys, only because it didn't work against Wladimir Klitschko, is faulty logic. Since those other boxers aren't Wladimir Klitschko and don't have the quality in their left hook that Wlad has.

Deontay Wilder couldn't even drop Johann Duhaupas with flush, loaded up punches for 11 rounds. When a total scrub and a far inferior boxer in Duhaupas can take Wilder's punches without getting dropped, much less KO'ed, then there is no reason why a far superior Pulev also couldn't not only not get knocked out, but go a step further and actually beat Wilder on points (assuming no robberies).

Anthony Joshua failed to even drop Joseph Parker. Let that sink in for a second! The same Parker who was dropped by Dillian Whyte of all people. Kubrat Pulev is superior to Joseph Parker in terms of boxing skills and is at least as durable, if not more durable.

Yeah, Klitschko was special. Joshua and Wilder are special too. Of course, that doesn't mean, that they are special in the same way. They have their own tools, which can be effectively used against Pulev's weaknesses, so Pulev is more likely to have early success with his jab, until he gets caught. Pulev himself is special only with the jab, so he won't be able to hide his weaknesses for long.

[Lackeos]

No he wouldn't. Prime Pulev got dominated by Wlad, who got dominated by a current heavyweight. Tyson Fury would mop the floor with Pulev.

[candyslim]

I think it needs to be remembered that in the period leading up to his fight with Parker, Joshua was talking about being criticized for his stamina and never having gone the full distance. It was clearly on his mind as was the thought that maybe he had been riding his luck with his gung-ho aggression, having been buzzed and wobbled by Whyte, dropped and almost stopped by Klitschko, as well as having made himself vulnerable as a result of emptying his gas-tank.

There can be no doubt surely that he approached Parker in a completely different way. He took no chances, was efficiently effective, some might say boring. It was clearly an experiment which produced mixed results. Whether or not he would have stopped Parker if he'd fought his normal fight is a moot point, but I'm in no doubt that he approached the contest without any concern about stopping his man. He may even have welcomed the loss of his 100% KO record and the pressure that brings.

I think Joshua has decided to bin his robotic take-no-risks experiment because if nothing else, it was starting to affect the fans attitude toward him, and would ultimately have hit him hard in the pocket.

I mention this only because when I read comments like "Joshua couldn't stop Parker" it irritates me because there is absolutely no concession to context. It assumes that his objective was to beat Parker inside the distance and I really don't think that was the case.

[ironbeard]

. . . before getting KTFO.

[jamamb]

pulev was a good amateur, won numerous international tournaments, bronze at the worlds, an olympian, etc. pretty much anyone with a long extensive international amateur background you can throw plenty of losses out there.

i mean, obviously the op is nutty though

[oogiebe]

pulev was a good amateur, won numerous international tournaments, bronze at the worlds, an olympian, etc. pretty much anyone with a long extensive international amateur background you can throw plenty of losses out there.

i mean, obviously the op is nutty though

Good post! Obviously, there is a reason Pulev has never gotten further in his career. He is far from a total package. Beating Hughie is not a great accomplishment.

[Ilya Muromets]

"Nobody has EVER out-boxed or out-jabbed Pulev. Not even Wladimir Klitschko, who has had the best jab of the last decade. But Pulev proved his jab is equally good, if not even better compared to Wladimir's. And I dare say his power jab specifically is even better and even more powerful."


As much as i am a fan of Pulev for reasins I've explained elsewhere, Wlad completely overwhelmed him, tho he tried his best and came to fight. Who was it who just said Wlad had the most effortlessly powerful left hook ever?

Wlad vs Pulev -



PS Gerry Cooney had, i think, the most powerful left hook ever, but not thrown so casually and effortlessly as Wlad.

[lillywhite14]

I sense tears before bedtime when Joshua knocks him the Fvck out within 4 rounds when they fight.

[jamamb]

I sense tears before bedtime when Joshua knocks him the Fvck out within 4 rounds when they fight.

nah he wont care, read his posts, obvious troll who continually contradicts himself just to say whatever gets a reaction at the moment, i doubt he really would care much, it would just be onto something new for a reaction